Abstract
Summary
A ZnACTH preparation of ACTH was found to be nearly 10 times more effective than the Acthar gel preparation as a stimulator of increase of adrenal weight but the two preparations were equally effective as stimulators of weight increase of the kidney and liver. Bovine GH (5 mg/day) had little effect on adrenal, kidney or liver weight. When injected with either ACTH preparation the BGH further increased the adrenal weights. Either cortisol or dexamethasone also increased the effectiveness of Acthar on adrenal weight, and when BGH was injected as a third hormone a further adrenal weight increase was observed suggesting three different mechanisms of action. Kidney weights were increased by cortisol (15 mg/day), dexa (200 μg/day) or Acthar (100 IU/day) to about the same extent. The addition of BGH (1 or 2 mg/day) reduced by more than one half the dose of the adrenal hormone required to produce a given kidney weight. Liver weights were increased by ACTH, cortisol and dexa. BGH increased the effect of each of these hormones on liver weight. When ACTH was injected a linear correlation between adrenal weight and kidney weight was again demonstrated but different slopes were obtained with ZnACTH and Acthar. These data further indicate the importance of hormones and the complexity of their interaction (hormonal balance) in controlling size of various major organs and tissues in the body.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.